The Indiana Hoosiers of course, were not one of these five teams. In fact, the five tournament teams from the Big Ten, all beat the Hoosiers by double digits at least once last season. This is all in the past now, and optimism has returned in Bloomington but the scary thing is… These five tournament teams virtually return all of their star players as well as the supporting cast. Ohio State was the only team of the three teams that tied for the regular season Big Ten title last year that lost a vital part in Evan Turner. Losing Turner though does not seem that terrible when you bring in the nation’s number two recruiting class and Indiana’s own Mr. Basketball Deshaun Thomas. Purdue returns everyone apart from the most hated Boilermaker of all time Chris Kramer and fellow senior Keaton Grant. Michigan State has been selected as a top three team in almost every media outlets early preseason poll. These three teams are just the cream of the crop in the Big Ten, teams I feel our Hoosiers are not even close to being ready to compete with.

Illinois returns their entire team along with the addition of McDonald’s All-American Jereme Richmond. Wisconsin is always a tournament team no matter who is returning, and surprising Northwestern will welcome back their best player in Kevin Coble. Tubby Smith will have Minnesota ready for its third straight tournament appearance while Ralph Sampson III looks to finally make a name for himself in the conference.

With all this established Indiana as well returns their entire core, apart from the departure of Devan Dumes. The truth is the Hoosiers after losing to Purdue in a close game at home, lost eight straight where they failed to even compete. What I question is if the Hoosiers will be ready to compete in the conference that will definitely again be marked in the preseason as the best in the country.

Maurice Creek’s contribution will be massive. He showed true flashes of brilliance at the beginning of the season and I believe would have run away with Big Ten freshman of the year if not for the injury. He will be the next great Hoosier to have a great career in Bloomington, but the team will not finish in the top half of the Big Ten just because of him. A leader will need to emerge, Verdell Jones showed signs last year, but will need to step it up even more this season if we plan to finish in the upper echelon of the conference. The 2009 recruiting class in Elston, Watford, Hulls, and Capobianco displayed some signs of what could be the next Indiana tournament team. If we can get physical post play from Elston, Capobianco, Watford, and Bawa than the potential of hanging in games against great post teams looks promising. It is too early to get a read on the team’s new freshman but I believe Victor Oladipo will play a critical part in helping the Hoosiers compete against up-tempo athletic teams such as Ohio State and Michigan State.

Fans are optimistic but Hoosier nation can only be patient for so long, a winning season is expected this year from a more experienced team, but if the history of Crean’s first two seasons repeats itself. Which consist of the Hoosiers tragically falling apart late in the Big Ten season than Indiana may be looking at another losing season. Every team in the Big Ten loves to beat Indiana because of the school’s rich basketball history, and with three potential final four teams in the Big Ten, there are no easy games for the Hoosiers once the conference season hits.

As I have discussed in other blogs lacrosse teams are popping up at all levels across the country. When I was in high school most kids began playing lacrosse their freshman year. Now that middle school and even elementary school programs are starting up kids will learn the necessary skills at a much younger age. By starting off younger the kids will be more skilled by the time they get to high school. Eventually, the high school athletes who are not from the East Coast will start getting scholarships to play at big name colleges like Syracuse and Virginia. Ultimately someone will make it as a professional and will represent that start of new age: Lacrosse is officially country-wide.

There is talks of an MLL extension project that would bring teams to Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Portland, St. Louis, Salt Lake, and San Diego; all within the next 10 years. By bring professional lacrosse into new cities across the country it allows the sport of lacrosse to be viewed by a more broad audience. The more publicity the sport gets the more popular it gets. It is that simple.

So if you are looking for a new and exciting sport to follow; lacrosse is it. It combines all different sports into one. The lacrosse field is like hockey but on grass and with no boards. Lacrosse has the physicality of hockey and football. Lacrosse has the fast pace of soccer. Lacrosse schemes are run just like basketball. What more could you ask for?

Virginia Cavaliers:

Sitting at 11-1 the Cavaliers recently lost their first game of the season to Duke 9-13. The two teams are set for a rematch on April 23 and the Cavaliers close out at the season at home against Robert Morris (8-4).

Virginia has a dominant first line of attack. Both Chris Bocklet and Steele Stanwick sit with 42 points each. Bocklet has 33 goals and 9 assists, Stanwick has 21 goals and 21 assists. Adam Ghitlmen is having a great year in goal as he only gives up an average of 7.8 goals per game.

North Carolina Tar Heels:

Although the Tar Heels have the same 11-1 record, rankings but them just behind the Cavaliers in second. After almost beating Virginia last week, North Carolina hopes to finish the season on a good note. They are set to take on Maryland (8-2) on April 23 and Ohio State (8-8) on May 8.

All-American goalie Chris Madalon averages less than 7 goals a game. On the other side of the ball, junior Billy Bitter leads the team with 19 goals and 20 assists. Midfielder Sean DeLaney has missed 3 games this season but has still managed to put up 20 goals. The Tar Heels will need his continue success in finding the back of the net if they want to win the national championship.

Syracuse Orangemen:

The reigning champions are back and looking for a consecutive national championship. Coach John Desko believes the team is heading in the right direction. “I want to see improvement…We need a little bit more scoring in the midfield, so the guys who can put some points on the board for us are going to get out there a little more.” The Orangemen currently sit at 10-1. Their remaining games include at home against a winless Princeton(0-10) team, at Notre Dame (6-5), and at St. John’s (5-6).
Syracuse is one of the only teams in the country that has three players with 20 or more goals. Attack/midfielder Chris Daniello sits with 21 goals, attack Cody Jamieson has 20, and attack Stephen Keogh has 23. In goal John Galloway gives up 7.4 goals per game while saving 59% of the shots he has faced.

We woke up at 6:30 Thursday morning and jumped on Interstate 37 to head up to Nap Town for what would turn out to be the trip of a lifetime. Josh made a Final Four playlist on his iPod, and we had to start the trip off with “One Shining Moment” — the famous video montage track for the NCAA Tournament. We realized how important it is to keep a good sense of humor when you know that you’re about to be working a lot of very long days.

We were working for a company called Prime Sport, a sports travel agency that sells hotel and ticket packages for major sporting events. As interns, we were there to do pretty much anything that needed to be done.

We spent the first day taking Final Four programs and commemorative newspapers around to the Prime Sport hotels where the company’s customers would soon be checking in. We finished off the night punching holes in Duke Fan Festival credentials, and then clipping lanyards on them for a solid three hours. This is where the sense of humor really paid off, as the three of us spent that whole three hours joking about anything we could think of.

It was the first 14-hour work day of my life.

On Thursday, the Indianapolis Convention Center also held the Division I College Basketball Coaches Convention. We caught our first glimpse of a famous person in the sports world when we saw Cal coach Mike Montgomery, whose team lost to the eventual national champion Duke in the second round.

We also saw Steve Donahue, former coach at Cornell and new men’s basketball coach at Boston College, and as we were walking out of the convention center to make a delivery to our next Prime Sport hotel, we walked right past Kentucky coach John Calipari.

Friday morning, we started working with Razor Gator, the official ticket sponsor of the NCAA and a corporate partner of Prime Sport. While Prime Sport covers the accommodations for their customers, Razor Gators provides tickets to the venue. They had a conference room in the Conrad Hotel where we sorted, filed and delivered almost 15,000 tickets for the Final Four.

I woke up Saturday morning knowing it would be the day that I would attend my first Final Four — an incredible feeling. We started out early back at the Conrad. More people started coming each hour as tip off approached.

Josh and I also went to the Indianapolis Indians stadium to set up for the Duke Fan Festival. We hung signs and decorated tables with blue and white colors. As people came into the stadium, we handed out the passes that we spent all night making on Thursday.  I’ll have to admit, I was definitely a little bit jealous to see the enthusiasm and joy in the Blue Devils fans, knowing that their team was getting ready to play in a Final Four.

As game time approached, we started walking towards Lucas Oil. The VP of Razor Gator gave each of us a ticket — which were marked $400 –for the corporate suite. This was definitely one of the perks of working for a major ticket distributor.

The moment that we walked into the arena, we were blown away by how impressive an event like the Final Four is to see in person.

As we were waiting for tip off, we saw Clark Kellogg, the CBS color commentator, sitting in row 45 eating a pregame steak sandwich. We asked him if we could take a picture with him and he kindly obliged.

After we made our way up to the suite, I called my dad to tell him that his son was sitting in a suite at the Final Four, eating chicken wings and pizza. How could this get any better?

In between games, the three of us made our way down to the pressroom. We walked right past the likes of Dick Vitale, Andy Katz, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery, as well as many other distinguished sports figures. Mike even weaseled his way into the Butler and Michigan State press conferences. We were right next to Gordon Hayward and Ronald Nored as they left the pressroom.

Sunday was still a busy day, with a lot of people taking advantage of the NCAA’s FAN2FAN Ticket Exchange. Many West Virginia and Michigan State fans were selling their championship tickets, and Duke and Butler fans were quick to buy them right as they went on the website. The turnaround time was only one day to make sure that all of the tickets that were exchanged were filed correctly and made ready for pickup.

Monday morning came very soon. We had been working 12-hour days, and we were running only on adrenaline now. We made one last rendezvous at the Conrad to, once again, distribute tickets to Razor Gator customers. I had a great time handing the tickets to the customers. I would say something like, “Here are your tickets to tonight’s national championship game.” The look on the Butler fans’ faces as they received their tickets is something that I will never forget.

After the last tickets were handed out, I started to walk to Lucas Oil for the 2010 Championship Game. As I walked the five or so blocks it takes to get to the stadium, I felt an amazing energy and electricity coming from everybody on the street. Everyone had the sense that something amazing was about to happen in the city that night.

Josh, Mike and I walked into the stadium about an hour before tip off and went down to the CBS desk, where Greg Gumbel, Seth Davis and Greg Anthony were prepping for their pregame show. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think that maybe one day that could be me.

As if the trip couldn’t get any crazier, Josh and I step off the elevator on the suite level and start walking right towards Peyton Manning. As we crossed ways, I nodded my head at him and he said, “How’s it going guys?” I had to ask myself afterwards, did Peyton Manning really just talk to us? At this point, I was running out of synonyms for unbelievable to describe what was going on.

The stadium felt like it was ready to explode as the starters were announced. You could feel the nerves and tension of every single fan in the stadium about to reach a boiling point.

As Gordon Hayward rebounded the ball with three seconds to go and no timeouts remaining, dribbled and then launched the half-courter, which flew off the backboard and clipped a healthy part of the front of the rim before it bounced out, I fell to my knees in shock.

We were only inches away from seeing what would have been the greatest sports moment of any of our lifetimes. I was accurate with my pregame prediction — it truly was one of the best college basketball games of all time.

We ended up working 61 hours from Thursday to Monday, averaging only a few hours of sleep each night, but it was still probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It has always been my dream to have a job working in sports, and I feel blessed to have had an internship that truly was an experience to remember.

There is no question this year’s tournament could be remembered as one of the best ever. I personally thought Kansas and Syracuse would steam roll through this event but it was Butler and Duke who led the way.

I never would have picked Northern Iowa to beat Kansas and Butler to overcome Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State. It never crossed my mind that St. Mary’s would manhandle Villanova and the great Scottie Reynolds.  Some of the greatest upsets occurred this year, which indicates that on any given night it is anyone’s game.

This tournament taught me another lesson. A mid-major team should never be overlooked. Even though Butler was a preseason top ten-ranked team, I was quick to under rate them. I had them losing every game they were in including the game in the final four.

Why did I do this?  It is simple. I thought big tier schools dominated this year of college basketball. I fell into the trap of looking past a team such as Butler because they did not command much media attention. The previously mentioned colleges overshadowed them. I fell prey to the media and let that dictate which teams I followed. As a result of that lesson, I learned to study all the teams equally and not base my opinions upon what is showcased by sports writers.

The story of the prevailing Butler Bulldogs goes beyond a mid-major battling against the powerhouses. It gives us a glimpse of what the future may bring.

Today the distribution of talent is greater than during the era of Jon Wooden and UCLA. It may appear that the top schools like North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Kansas, Syracuse and Duke still recruit the premier players, but this is a deceiving statistic.

These schools recruit players who are more developed and ready to make an impact as starting freshmen. This, however, may lead to a quick exit into the NBA draft. Most colleges do not recruit players who are raw but have potential.  Butler is the exception to this type of philosophy. Butler’s Gordon Hayward is a prime example of this thinking.

During high school, Hayward was not regarded as a top recruit but Brad Stevens knew that with the right coaching, he could become a special player. The Butler roster has many similar stories of using this method to obtain players, which could become a precedent for other coaches to follow.

Do not be surprised if Butler is predicted to compete for the National Title next year. To date, they are only losing senior guard Willie Veasley and senior forward Avery Jukes. Returning are their most accomplished players: Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard, and Ronald Nored.

The 5,000 fans on hand for the annual Cream vs. Crimson game Saturday night noticed Banks too. He made the pistol offense fire, showcasing his explosiveness with a 30-yard burst in the third quarter, and finishing with 49 yards to lead all running backs.

While he showed the signs of a mature veteran between the lines, don’t be fooled–he’s just like any other 18-year-old who’s looking forward to his high school senior prom (coming up on May 8^th).

Banks opted to graduate early from Middletown High School in Ohio, where he had a decorated high school career, rushing for 2,948 yards on 508 carries and accounting for 41 touchdowns.

“I did my dues in high school…I figured I might as well come to college early and get a head start,” Banks explained.

He “did his dues” in the classroom as well, where he was a three-year honor roll student.

Banks expressed how it was a tough transition from day one, having to learn the playbook and how to read the defense.

“In high school, they just give you a hole to run to; now I have to know when I’m going to cut, when I’m going to block,” Banks said.

Fortunately, he has had help from the likes of Darius Willis, Zach Davis-Walker, and “all the running backs,” as Banks put it. As far as where he fits in with the running back group, Banks sees himself as an all-around threat.

It’s not going to be easy for him to break in to a depth chart that includes the likes of Nick Turner and Darius Willis, but he knows that better than anyone.

“I’m very excited for the fall, I have a lot to prove to the coaches over the summer if I want to play early,” Banks said. “I want to improve my vision, my speed, get a little bit bigger, and improve in reading defenses.”

Banks believes that his play so far this spring has provided a huge confidence boost.

At the prospect of a redshirt, a fairly common practice for Lynch over the past couple years, Banks shrugged, “I’d be ok [with it], it would mean I need to improve at something.”

Antonio Banks has shown his natural ability, but also his humility—and with those two traits, the 5’10’’, 200-pound freshman has a promising career ahead of him.

As for his team?

Banks hopes for—“a bowl game for one, doing better than the last couple seasons, and sending the seniors out with their best season yet.”

But before he can worry about all that, he’ll have to find his tux for prom.

Founded in 1960 by the late Mark McCormack, International Management Group (at the time) has grown at a rapid pace by diversifying their business in the entertainment and media industries.

McCormack was an American lawyer who saw potential for athletes and celebrities to make large amounts of money from marketing endorsements at the time when televisions became a common household item. His first client, golf legend Arnold Palmer, agreed on a handshake to sign with McCormack, and the company has since become a global operation.

After McCormack passed away in 2003, CEO Theodore Forstmann of Forstmann Little & Co. acquired IMG and became chairman and CEO. After acquiring IMG, Forstmann started acquiring companies and diversifying the company, making it one of the largest sports organizations in the world.

For example, Trans World International (TWI) is IMG’s event producing division. TWI makes and distributes sports programs all over the world, producing over 5,000 hours of original programming every year. These programs include the World’s Strongest Man competition, English Premier League (Soccer), and American Gladiators.

The IMG academies are another large asset to the company. Located in Bradenton, Florida, IMG academies is a multi sport educational and training facility for both amateur and professional athletes. Formed after acquiring the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1987, IMG has expanded its facilities to accommodate for golf, baseball, soccer, basketball, swimming, and football.

Thousands of students from over one hundred countries attend these weekly academies and full semester programs. Additionally, professional athletes including Philadelphia Phillies pitchers Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick train at the IMG facilities during their respective off seasons.

IMG is also invested in the entertainment and fashion industries. Representing stars including Giselle Bundchen and Liv Tyler, IMG is the world’s largest producer of fashion events and is the top international modeling agency. Partnering with leading designers and marketers around the world, IMG is able to reach fashion-detailed consumers through their event publications and unmatched expertise.

Collegiate sports are a very large part of IMG’s marketing and media industry. They partner with leading brands, licensed product marketers, and college institutions to provide customized sponsorship marketing programs and multi platform media services. The marketing and media solutions team represents leading collegiate properties including two major conferences, 11 universities, and 16 bowl games.

IMG is an extremely diversified company, but they are widely known for their representation of professional athletes. From contract negotiations, licensing, endorsements, and broadcasting opportunities, IMG provides clients with the total package of a sport agency. Their client list includes Venus Williams, Shaun White, Peyton Manning, and Ladainian Tomlinson.

Over the past few decades, IMG World has proven to be one of the largest and most successful multi-dimensional agencies in the world. The company works extremely hard and lives by their mission statement.

“Using imagination, creativity and energy, our mission is to leverage the unparalleled power of IMG’s worldwide resources, capabilities and assets to the benefit of our clients, customers and partners in the areas of sports, entertainment and media.”